Ben Affleck Released from Rehab to Celebrate Christmas with His Family

Ben Affleck was briefly released from rehab so he could enjoy Christmas celebrations with his estranged wife Jennifer Garner and their three children.

The actor emerged during the holiday season to spend time with Jennifer and their three children Violet, 12, Seraphina, eight, and Samuel, five, and his girlfriend, Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus.

According to editors at New York Post gossip column Page Six, the Justice League actor was permitted to leave his rehab facility in Los Angeles, where he has been undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction, to celebrate the holidays with his loved ones.

After spending time with his children, he was seen dining at Nobu in Malibu, California, on Tuesday (26Dec17) with his TV producer girlfriend. Sources told the news outlet he abstained from alcohol during the meal and the Live By Night star is expected to return to his rehab facility to continue his treatment.

The couple’s relationship is getting serious, as it was recently reported they had rented an apartment in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive buildings. Affleck will reportedly move in with Shookus at the apartment when he completes his latest treatment.

News of the Oscar winner’s return to rehab comes months after he dropped out of a role in Netflix movie Triple Frontier to “focus on his wellness and his family,” according to a source.

It follows an announcement Affleck made on Facebook in March that he had “completed treatment for alcohol addiction”.

“I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be,” he wrote. “I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step.”